This invention relates to a firing nipple for use in muzzle loaded firearms. Over the last several years, the sport of hunting and shooting with muzzle loading guns has become popular. The most popular type of gun for hunting is the percussion type which utilizes a bucket-shaped percussion cap pressed upside down over a nipple. The nipple associated with this prior bucket-shaped cap is a removable hollow tube which protrudes from inside the firing or powder chamber of the gun. The protruding end of the nipple is exposed to the gun hammer and the bucket-shaped cap fits over this exposed end of the nipple. The percussion cap contains a small quantity of gun powder and upon impact by the hammer falling, the cap is forced against the nipple, the cap powder is ignited, and fire is forced through the hollow passage of the nipple into the black powder charge in the barrel. The resulting explosion forces the bullet from the barrel.
The existing bucket-shaped percussion caps are very fragile and the cap powder is easily deteriorated by water because the powder is exposed to the atmosphere in the unsealed "bucket". On wet days, misfires often occur.